Welcome back to another week of Bells and Whistles!
This week comes with an exciting announcement – SpicyIP, in collaboration with CIPAM-DPIIT, has launched the 1st National Policy Brief Competition on Intellectual Property & Innovation 2025!
If you’re passionate about IP policy, SEPs, or trade secrets, this is your chance to turn ideas into impact — with a ₹2,00,000 prize pool, trophies and certificates up for grabs.
Bell of the Week: P.H. Kurian — The Bureaucrat Who Rang for Reform
Some Bells don’t just chime — they shake things up. This week, I’m spotlighting P.H. Kurian, who, as Controller General of the Indian Patent Office (2009–2011), brought much-needed transparency and accountability to a system long weighed down by opacity.
His appointment itself marked a break from tradition, for the first time, an IAS officer led an office historically run by insiders who had risen through the examiner ranks. Within months, he pushed for faster disposal of pending oppositions, publication of office decisions, and introduced subject-specific divisions for patent examiners, steps that improved both efficiency and quality. He even restricted access to IP offices to authorised agents, curbing disorder and misuse.
Kurian’s short tenure stood out for its rare blend of integrity and reform. His work continues to remind us how leadership, when anchored in purpose, can make even the quietest systems ring clear.
Interestingly, the SpicyIP blog posts about his tenure drew some of the most engaged comment sections ever — filled with insiders sharing rare glimpses into the Patent Office’s workings, reflecting just how much his reforms stirred the system and inspired conversation. You can check out the blog posts featuring him and his work here, here, here, here and here.
EVENTS
1. Conversation Series on AI and the Law (Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, JNU)
7 – 28 November 2025 | Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi | Online + In person
As part of the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance’s 25th anniversary celebrations, the Law and Tech Research Group presents a Conversation Series on AI and the Law, featuring practitioner perspectives on the evolving interface between technology and legal practice. Attendees are invited to join the discussions and engage with the Group’s ongoing initiatives.
More info
2. AI and Copyright Discussion Series (OCEAN & Authors Alliance)
October – December 2025 | 12:00 PM Eastern | Online (Zoom)
Brief: The Open Copyright Education Advisory Network (OCEAN) and Authors Alliance are hosting a five-part discussion series on AI’s impact on copyright, authorship, and research. The first session (AI Copyright 101, October 24) kicked off the series, unpacking training data and copyrightability questions. The upcoming sessions continue to explore research implications, authorship, litigation, and institutional guidance for libraries, archives, and museums.
More Info
3. WIPO Online Mediation and Arbitration Workshop
8 – 20 November 2025 | 10:00 – 12:00 CET | Online
Brief: This three-day online workshop provides practical training on IP and technology dispute resolution through mediation and arbitration. Participants will gain hands-on experience with the WIPO Mediation, Arbitration, and Expedited Arbitration Rules, explore real case applications across industries, and learn to draft effective dispute resolution clauses. Participants who attend all three days will receive a Certificate of Participation.
More info
OPPORTUNITIES
1. 1st National Policy Brief Competition on Intellectual Property & Innovation 2025 (Spicyip, CIPAM & DPIIT)
Deadline: 14 December 2025
The competition invites law students to present policy solutions on pressing IP and innovation issues. Teams of three (from the same institution) can choose between two themes — Trade Secrets & Confidential Information in the Pharmaceutical Sector and Standard-Essential Patents (SEPs) and Technological Innovation.
More info
2. INTA Asia-Pacific Moot Court Competition 2026 (International Trademark Association)
Deadline: 15 November 2025 | 5:00 PM U.S. ET | New Delhi (India Habitat Centre)
Brief: INTA’s 2026 Asia-Pacific Moot Court Competition will be held in person in New Delhi on 20–21 February 2026. Open to law students across the Asia-Pacific region, the competition focuses on trademark and unfair competition law, offering participants a chance to argue before global IP experts. There is no registration fee, and winners receive monetary prizes and INTA student memberships.
More info
3. Bridge Post Graduate Scholarships 2025
Deadline: 19 November 2025 | Online Applications
The Bridge Initiative announces postgraduate scholarships, relevant to the field of law are listed below.
(i) Bridge Scholarship in Law and Gender – For 1st year postgraduate students in LL.M., Women’s Studies, or Women-Centred Practice. Eligible applicants: SC/ST/OBC and Queer students.
(ii) Bridge-Aabshar Scholarship – For 1st and 2nd year Muslim students from Kashmir enrolled in postgraduate social sciences programmes.
(iii) Bridge-Ali Reza Zaidi Scholarship – For 1st year women students pursuing postgraduate studies in any social sciences subject.
More info
4. Postdoctoral Research Associate (CREATe Centre, University of Glasgow)
Deadline: 23 November 2025 (23:45 UK Time) | Glasgow | Postdoctoral Position
The University of Glasgow’s CREATe Centre is inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work with Prof. Tim Barker and Prof. Philip Schlesinger. The role focuses on critically analysing emerging technologies in society and culture, particularly in relation to cultural preservation, memory, and regulatory issues in the creative industries.
More info
5. PhD in Law Programme (The Chinese University of Hong Kong – Faculty of Law)
Deadline: 1 December 2025 (12:00 PM HK Time) | Hong Kong | PhD Programme
Applications are now open for the CUHK Faculty of Law PhD programme. All admitted PhD students receive funding, either through the prestigious Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) or through CUHK’s own fellowships and studentships. The programme offers an excellent opportunity to pursue advanced research in law within a globally recognised institution.
More info
Thanks to Niharika and Daanish for the leads and Lokesh for his amazing series ‘Sifting through the Pages’ on the blog which is full of information and insights!
All non-sponsored listings featured here are events or opportunities free or nominally charged and ones we think our readers may be interested in. Sponsored listings will be marked as such. Unless specifically mentioned, SpicyIP has no affiliation to anything listed here. Know of an event worth sharing? Write to us at contact[at]spicyip[dot]com.